ACPAtmospheric Chemistry and PhysicsACPAtmos. Chem. Phys.1680-7324Copernicus GmbHGöttingen, Germany10.5194/acp-10-4331-2010Technical Note: Fast two-dimensional GC-MS with thermal extraction for anhydro-sugars in fine aerosolsMaY.13HaysM. D.1GeronC. D.1WalkerJ. T.1Gatari GichuruM. J.21National Risk Management Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, USA2Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, College of Architecture and Engineering, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya3currently at: California Air Resources Board, 9528 Telstar Avenue, El Monte, CA 91731, USA0705201010943314341This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/This article is available from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/4331/2010/acp-10-4331-2010.htmlThe full text article is available as a PDF file from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/4331/2010/acp-10-4331-2010.pdf

A fast two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC-MS) method
that uses heart-cutting and thermal extraction (TE) and requires no chemical
derivatization was developed for the determination of anhydro-sugars in fine
aerosols. Evaluation of the TE-GC-GC-MS method shows high average relative
accuracy (&ge;90%), reproducibility (&le;10% relative standard
deviation), detection limits of less than 3 ng/&mu;L, and negligible
carryover for levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan markers. TE-GC-GC-MS-
and solvent extraction (SE)-GC-MS-measured levoglucosan concentrations
correlate across several diverse types of biomass burning aerosols. Because
the SE-GC-MS measurements were taken 8 years prior to the TE-GC-GC-MS ones,
the stability of levoglucosan is established for quartz filter-collected
biomass burning aerosol samples stored at ultra-low temperature
(&minus;50 &deg;C). Levoglucosan concentrations (w/w) in aerosols collected following
atmospheric dilution near open fires of varying intensity are similar to
those in biomass burning aerosols produced in a laboratory enclosure. An
average levoglucosan-mannosan-galactosan ratio of 15:2:1 is observed for
these two aerosol sets. TE-GC-GC-MS analysis of atmospheric aerosols from
the US and Africa produced levoglucosan concentrations (0.01–1.6 &mu;g/m<sup>3</sup>)
well within those reported for aerosols collected globally and
examined using different analytical techniques (0.004–7.6 &mu;g/m<sup>3</sup>).
Further comparisons among techniques suggest that fast
TE-GC-GC-MS is among the most sensitive, accurate, and precise methods for
compound-specific quantification of anhydro-sugars. In addition, an
approximately twofold increase in anhydro-sugar determination may be
realized when combining TE with fast chromatography.

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